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Chapter Text

Well! With all the hustle and bustle and new guests arriving, it shall be all I can do to remember everyone’s names, and while Frodo seems to be muddling along well enough, I fear poor Sam is in the same boat as I, and he has had even less time to learn the oddities of elvish naming conventions. To that end - and for the benefit of any future travelers in Aman who find themselves in rather over their heads - I have constructed the following guide. Hopefully it shall do us all some good.

The House of Feanor:

Feanor, also called Feanaro, or, rarely, Curufinwe: His first two names at least have the benefit of being similar to each other, and he stands out in a crowd nicely. It seems rather trite to say that you’ll know him when you see him, but I find that it is indeed true. If you are in any doubt, I personally recommend dropping the use of Þ and replacing it with ’s’ while speaking in Quenya in his earshot; if he flinches and visibly restrains himself on the basis that you are a mere hobbit and cannot possibly know better, then it is almost certainly Feanor.

The main difficulty here lies in his title. It is as of yet unclear whether he should be referred to as ‘High King,’ “King,’ ‘Prince,’ ‘Lord,’ or if perhaps all titles ought to be dropped altogether, and picking one to use makes a rather large political statement. I recommend pretending to be old and confused enough to refer to him as ‘Mayor’ and then using whatever you’re corrected with, although admittedly this strategy may work better for some of us than others.

Nerdanel: If she has other names, I’ve never heard them, which makes her rather unique among the elves here in Aman. If she has preferences on titles, she’s yet to make a sufficient fuss about it for the gossip to reach me, so just figure out what you’re going to call Feanor first and then call her the feminine form of that. She’s almost as easy to spot as her husband; just look for the red-headed woman with the rather impressive muscles, presumably from hauling around all that stone for her sculptures.

Maedhros, also called Maitimo, also called Russandol, also called Nelyafinwe: There is no one alive who needs that many names, and I stand by that point firmly.

That said, the names provide several useful descriptors of him, so, in order: Maitimo apparently means well-formed, and although I suspect most mothers would say the same upon seeing their first child, apparently there are a fair few maidens in Tirion who agree despite everything that’s passed since. Russandol is a reference to his red hair, which matches his mother’s very well, and Nelyafinwe means “third Finwe” and seems to be regarded as a backhanded insult to Feanor’s two half-brothers, so I recommend avoiding that one unless you intend to wade far deeper into elvish politics than good hobbitish sense would dictate. Maedhros seems to be safe enough and even the preferred form, so it might be best to stick with that.

He has been a king, a prince, and a lord, and although no one seems to be keen on calling him the first, the rest are still up in the air, and I’m hearing now that they’re considering making up some brand new title for former kings, of which they seem to have an abundance. I recommend repeating the mayor trick, or, if they seem to be catching on to that, coughing in the middle of mumbling your pick of titles. This has the added advantage of the nearest elf usually offering to fetch you a beverage.

Maglor, also called Kanafinwe, also called Makalaure: If you don’t recognize him after all this time in Elrond’s house, I can’t help you. Personally, I think it best to just stick with calling him Maglor, as that’s what we’re all used to, but I’ve written a brief etymology of his other names in case you hear anyone calling him something else.

Kanafinwe means strong-voiced of Finwe. The strong-voiced bit sounds like another name that would occur to a great many new parents, but it also turned out to be rather prophetic, so it suits him. Makalaure, on the other hand, means gold-cleaver, which makes little sense to me, as I’ve yet to see him cut anything in half, much less gold, but apparently it is meant to refer in some manner to his skill with a harp.

You may also hear a few people with more voice than sense call him ‘Elrond’s pet kinslayer’; I recommend giving these people your best look of disappointment and/or disapproval until they look ashamed of themselves and stop.

Celegorm, also called Turcafinwe, also called Tyelkormo: I am told Turcafinwe means ‘strong Finwe’ which is appropriate enough, given his skill at hunting, but it seems to leave a rather poor implication towards the original Finwe’s comparative strength. (This observation is probably best left kept to yourself, however.) There seems to be some disagreement about what hair color to expect from him (I have no idea why; perhaps he likes to dye it), so if you miss his introduction, try bringing up hunting and seeing who looks most enthusiastic about it. Alternatively, see who looks most awkward around Elrond - I imagine there will be some lingering difficulty about the whole Luthien affair. Goodness knows there was in the Shire after Poppy turned down Otho, and this is a good deal more awkward a situation than that.

I would try not to bring that up though as his mother name when translated reveals itself to be a prediction of a quick temper which, combined with his strength, might be best not to provoke.

Caranthir, also called Morifinwe, also called Carnistir: Morifinwe translates to ‘Dark Finwe’ which has led to some calling him “Caranthir the Dark” which contrasts rather nicely with those that call his older brother “Celegorm the Fair.” Said darkness is a reflection upon his hair, not his character, although since he is hardly the only dark haired Feanorian, I am not sure why it was considered worth commenting upon.

It still strikes me as a better name than Carnistir which as best I can make out means “red-faced.” I have no doubt that this was indeed true upon his birth, but as this is true for most healthy babes it seems rather pointless to make a name of it.

But I suppose I am being rather harsh; the duty of naming a child never fell to me as Frodo was already well secure in his name by the time he came to me, and I suppose upon being handed a newborn babe, it might be easy to panic and just say the first thing that came to mind.

Curufin, also called Curufinwe, also called Atarinke: If you look around and see someone that looks almost exactly like Feanor but who is deferring to the person that’s actually Feanor, that’s Curufin. Feanor passed down his less used name to Curufin, but it still seems best to stick the Sindarin form in order to help avoid confusion.

Atarinke means ‘little Father,’ a name that must have been wonderfully appropriate in childhood but seems a little less so now as Curufin has managed to surpass his father in height by approximately the width of a thumb, at least according to Maglor. I am also told that I ought not to bring this up.

Still, I suppose ‘little Father’ remains somewhat appropriate as he is the only son of Feanor to have actually achieved the state of fatherhood.

I think. I am still not entirely clear on which kings Gil-Galad is descended from, exactly.

Celebrimbor, also called Telperinquar: According to elvish naming customs at the time of his birth, he should have at least one more name, given to him by his mother. I can find no one willing to tell me this name, or, for that matter, to talk about his mother. I will continue searching what records I can but will decline from further questioning as, despite what the Dunedain might have thought, I am actually capable of tact in these things.

Telperinquar means silver-fist which works well enough for a smith, and, in an additional stroke of luck, he is the only who currently has a clear title: Lord of Eregion. The fallen state of that city appears not to matter in this case, so Lord Celebrimbor or Telperinquar it is.

This is additionally important as while you may not end up talking with all the Feanorians during this visit, a long talk with Celebrimbor seems rather unavoidable. Hopefully it shall be good for all of us.

Amrod, also called Pityafinwe, also called Ambarussa, also called Ambarto, also called Umbarto and Amras, also called Telufinwe, also called Ambarussa: I recommend calling them both Ambarussa as apparently even their own brothers sometimes can’t tell them apart, in which case, we haven’t a chance. Supposedly Amrod’s hair is a shade darker than Amras’s, but unless they’re standing next to each other, I’m not sure how we’re supposed to tell the difference.

As they’ll be arriving first, it seemed best to go ahead and give you this collection of notes as it stands; a continuation of the guide shall be presented shortly before the arrival of Fingolfin and Finarfin’s clans.

…

Dear Master Baggins,

I was delighted to make your acquaintance last night. I was slightly less delighted when I discovered this packet which appears to have fallen from your pocket.

- [ink blot over title] Feanor

…

Dear most honorable and hopefully most forgiving [ink blot over title] Feanor,

Oh, dear. In my defense, I never intended anyone other than my nephew and his good friend to read this; I assure you I would have made it far more polished if it were for public consumption.

Please forgive any lines that may have given offense. In the hopes of more readily attaining this forgiveness, I have enclosed copies of my notes on your half-brothers’ families.

- Bilbo Baggins

…

Dear Master Bilbo,

Your second set of notes was delightful; all is most certainly forgiven.

- [ink blot] Feanor

Chapter Text

With Fingolfin’s party nearly here (and with a certain apology made abruptly necessary), I thought it time to present my second batch of notes.

Hopefully this batch will have better luck when it comes to coming only to its intended recipients.

The House of Fingolfin:

Fingolfin, also called Nolofinwe, also called Aracano: Interestingly, Nolofinwe, his father name, is the only name that lacks political implications. It means wise Finwe, which I’ve heard is a pretty good summary of his time as High King, except possibly for that last bit. Charging Morgoth alone was very brave indeed, but I’m not quite sure I’d have characterized it as wise.

Aracano, on the other hand, means ‘high chieftain’ which turned out to be true enough but which seems like it would have been rather controversial when he was born - perhaps that’s why I had to dig rather deep to find that one and almost all records stick with the far less divisive Nolofinwe.

Fingolfin, interestingly, is the most deliberately political of all, as it’s the Sindarized version of ‘Finwenolofinwe’ which was interpreted at the time as a possible bid for kingship. Time, however, has turned it from a political statement to a mere name, so you’re probably safe with either this one or Nolofinwe.

The matter of his title remains as complicated as it is for all the returned dead. In this case, I would just do whatever Elrond does unless Elrond decides to skip that particular political mess by just calling him great-great-grandfather. That’s a bit of a mouthful, though, so I’ve hope he’ll use something more generally helpful.

Failing that, you can either use the mayor trick, or, if you’ve already used that one, try calling him the Thain. Any confusion on his part will be an excellent excuse to launch into the history of the Shire and thus avoid any further awkwardness.

Anaire: Like Nerdanel, she only appears to have one name readily researchable. I’m beginning to wonder if the giving of two names is reserved for male children, or perhaps just for those born into the House of Finwe. Regardless, you’ll at least know what to call her, though her title is as frustratingly vague as Fingolfin’s despite her never having died.

(Note to self: Was she High Queen when Fingolfin was High King even though she never got to reign at his side? Is there some special title for that situation?)

Fingon, also called Findekano: None of Fingolfin’s children appear to have mother-names, so perhaps that is just a tradition of the House of Finwe that Anaire declined to participate in.

Findekano apparently means either hair-commander or skilled commander; I have decided to give Fingolfin’s naming choices the benefit of the doubt and assume that he intended the latter although judging by the laughter Maglor appears to be biting back as I write this, I may be mistaken in doing so.

Fingon’s titles are as undecided as everyone else’s, but he has a reputation for good nature, so it might be possible to get away with just asking him what would be appropriate. If you decide to go this route, you’ll want to be sure that it is indeed Fingon you’re talking to. I recommend distinguishing him from all the other dark haired Noldor by looking for one who’s wearing Fingolfin’s color (blue) and who’s talking to Maedhros. If he is not currently talking to Maedhros, you can try dropping Maedhros’s name into conversation and judging people’s reaction to it. If anyone says anything insulting, Fingon is probably not within earshot, and you should move on.

Aredhel, also called Irisse, also called Ireth: Aredhel apparently means ‘noble elf’ which is a far better meaning than many I’ve had to sort through so far. I am uncertain as to what Irisse means - and, for that matter, uncertain as to how the transition from Irisse to Aredhel occurred as Ireth is the properly rendered Sindarin form of the name. Perhaps she was unhappy with the way Ireth sounded and so chose a new name for herself? I wonder if it would be rude to ask her.

Aredhel should be relatively easy to spot as she reportedly still wears all white. She also, I am delighted to report, has a definite title: She publicly announced that she has gone by “Lady” all her life and sees no reason to change now, whatever else may be decided.

Eol: Eol not only has only one name, that name is the first I have come across that explicitly has no meaning. You won’t have to worry about his titles or his appearance, however, as he remains in Mandos and will not be coming to Elrond’s house any time soon. I include his name mostly so that if you hear his name mentioned in conversation, you know to leave that conversation as soon as possible and retreat to the safety of the nearest supply of food. It has been made very clear that Eol is one of the things that we are all very determinedly Not Going to Discuss in the hopes of no more unfortunate arson being committed.

Maeglin, also called Lomion, also called a great many unrepeatable things by Glorfindel under his breath: Maeglin means ‘sharp glance’ and was, I understand, a name only given to him after some twelve years of life. Hastiness in naming children is one crime we cannot accuse Eol of, although goodness knows that leaves plenty of others. Lomion, on the other hand, means ‘child of twilight,’ which seems like a vaguely ominous name to give a child.

Maeglin will be arriving with Fingolfin’s party; we have all been instructed to keep him as far away from Glorfindel as possible. I would also recommend steering him away from Idril and Earendil, and I suppose Elrond, though as the host, perhaps not.

Argon, also called Arakano: I would assume this means roughly the same thing as his father’s nearly identical ‘Aracano,’ but I may be mistaken in this. (Note: Find someone to ask. Although since you’re reading this, Feanor, I suppose I might as well just ask you. Do you have any light to shed on this?) Although technically either form of his name is correct, it seems more polite to use Arakano since he never got the chance to use Argon while he was alive due to the unfortunate conclusion of his first battle.

Edit: According to Feanor, Arakano means ‘high commander’ which does indeed mean roughly the same as Aracano but is perhaps a touch more tactful.

Turgon, also called Turukano: Technically, I should have put his name after Fingon’s, but since he has by far the longest line, it seemed neater to save him for the end.

I’ve caught enough about elvish suffixes to suspect that his name means something-commander, but I have no idea what that something might be. Brave commander? Light commander? Tall commander?

If it is the last one, it would be appropriate. Maglor says he’s the only one who ever rivaled Maedhros in height, which should at least make him easy to identify in any crowds.

I am uncertain if we’re supposed to be keeping him away from Maeglin. At this point, I’m getting very tempted to play cheerfully oblivious to everyone’s old arguments and just bull straight ahead. This is requiring more arranging than my eleventy-first birthday party.

Elenwe: In which we have a continued tradition of those born outside the House of Finwe having only one name! A very pretty name it is, too. I’m told it means ‘star person.’

I wonder if Earendil has ever let her come along when he sails that star of his through the sky. It seems like he should, in deference to the name, though I suppose if he lets one person come, he’ll never get rid of everyone else clamoring to.

Idril, also called Itarille, also called Celebrindal: Like her mother, Idril has quite a lovely name. Itarille means ‘sparkling brilliance’ and Celebrindal means ‘silver-foot.’

I have gotten the impression that this is the first time Elrond will be meeting her, so let’s all try to make sure it goes well, yes?

Tuor, also called Eladar, also called Ulmondil, also called the Blessed: All of those except the first one are more titles than names, so sticking with Tuor seems best. Eladar means ‘star-father’ and Ulmondil means ‘friend of Ulmo.’ The Blessed, I should hope you can figure out for yourself.

He’s also the only other mortal you’re every likely to see here! That, however, is another topic on the list of things we are Not Going to Discuss, I think out of a mildly superstitious fear that if we talk about it too much someone might start making noises about why he hasn’t taken the Gift of Men yet.

Given that I’m also rather passed the date of my own expected passing, I firmly intend to Not Discuss This with the best of them.

Earendil, also called Ardamire, also called Azrubel, also called Halfelven, also called the Mariner, also called the Blessed: Being blessed seems to be something of a family trait.

Earendil seems to firmly prefer Earendil to Ardamire, perhaps because Earendil means ‘devoted to the sea,’ and he certainly seems to have embraced that aspect of his identity. The rest is mostly self-explanatory titles with the exception of Azrubel, which is the Adunaic rendering of his name.

I would avoid that one, just to be safe.

Although his titles are as confused as anyone’s, he doesn’t seem to particularly care, and we’ve met him before anyway, so I wouldn’t worry about it overmuch.

He seems to have come to some kind of peace with Maglor, but perhaps keep an eye on him around Maedhros and the Ambarussa in case that truce doesn’t extend to them. While I’m sure all parties involved are well capable of looking after themselves, I am also sure Elrond would greatly prefer it if things didn’t descend to a brawl.

Elwing: Elwing means ‘star-foam’ which also seems rather appropriate, doesn’t it? She, however, will actually be arriving separately with the party from Doriath as she was visiting her mother when all this chaos was thrown into motion.

This will be her first meeting with Maglor since Sirion if I have understood things correctly, though not her first meeting with Elrond.

Elrond seems nervous about the potential encounter, which means that we all certainly should be; anything that visibly rattles Elrond is good cause for concern.

I recommend stockpiling distractions to use should they become necessary. I have a variety of riddles saved up if you should care to borrow a few.

Elros, also called Elerosse, also called Tar-Minyatur: Twin brother of Elrond who will not be attending due to having chosen mortality. Not quite on the things to Not to Discuss list, but perhaps it would be better to allow someone who personally knew him to be the one to bring him up.

Elros’s various descendants: Would be quite enough to fill another sheaf of notes which I do not at present have time for. Suffice to say that none of them will be attending except perhaps in a technical sense Ar-Pharazon, as I’m not quite sure what hill he’s sleeping under, so I suppose it’s possible he’s under this one.

Well! That’s a disquieting thought.

Elrond and Celebrian: Our hosts. If you have trouble recognizing them, it might be best that we go see a healer.

Elladan, Elrohir, and Arwen: Elrond and Celebrian’s children. Arwen will not be attending due to, like Elros, choosing mortality and remaining in Middle Earth. Elladan and Elrohir will almost certainly not be attending for reason of having not yet sailed, although I suppose it is possible that they might even now be on their way and could show up in time.

If they do, I’ve heard grandchildren are even more distracting than riddles, and we should probably shove them into the middle of any awkward moments between the Feanorians and Elrond’s parents.

Chapter Text

Last and certainly not least, lest we cause a diplomatic incident, the House of Finarfin!

The House of Finarfin:

Finarfin, also called Arafinwe, also called Ingoldo: Arafinwe, meaning ‘noble Finwe,’ is probably the most correct name for him since the majority of his life has been spent among Quenya speakers, but he seems to have embraced the Sindarin form of it as well, so either seems acceptable. Ingoldo refers to gold, probably in reference to his hair.

That, incidentally, is your best shot at recognizing him: He is the only person with golden hair present that people are likely to refer to as the High King. Whether or not you should refer to him as the High King is far more political than you probably want to deal with. Use the tricks previously discussed to avoid the issue if at all possible.

Earwen: One of the Teleri, her name means ‘sea maiden.’ I wonder if it’s a common name amongst them? She too lacks a mother name, although unlike Anaire, she seems to have embraced the tradition.

Finrod, also called Ingoldo, also called Findarato, also Felagund, also called Nom: Another elf with far too many names! As you are neither Man nor dwarf, I would avoid both Felagund and Nom. I would also avoid Ingoldo, since he shares the name with his father, and it might cause confusion. Better to stick with either Finrod or Findarato, which means ‘golden haired champion.’ By all accounts the name is well earned, though I am beginning to wonder about the elvish insistence on describing their children’s hair color in their names. It is not as if it is not immediately obvious to all who meet them, and they do not have so many varieties of color as to make a particular one remarkable.

Then again, hair does at least not make a political statement, so perhaps it seemed safest when tensions were high.

As opposed to now, when Maglor tells me his main goal for this party is to not have the fifth kinslaying at it.

Orodreth: Unlike Finrod, he does not appear to have a mother name. Perhaps Earwen grew tired of it?

On the other hand, Orodreth is a distinctly Sindarin name, meaning ‘mountaineer,’ which means his name in Quenya is known only through back-translating it.

Let’s see. Mountain in Quenya is ‘Oron,’ very similar to the Sindarin, and climb is ‘retto,’ also similar to the Sindarin, so perhaps Orenretto? That doesn’t sound right.

Edit: Maglor has just informed me that Orodreth’s original name had a rather embarassing meaning when translated into Sindarin, and that it was thus thoroughly abandoned. I admit this has rather stoked my curiosity rather than quashed it, but I certainly can’t ask Orodreth about it, and I rather fear to press a Feanorian in case I succeed and stir up new resentments.

Maybe Elrond knows?

Finduilas, also called Faelivrin: Yet another elf named for her hair! I am not sure what the rest of her name refers to, however.

Faelivrin is more easily deciphered and means ‘Gleam of the Sun on the Pools of Ivrin.’ I would not, however, call her this, as it was a compliment coined by her ex-fiancee.

(Possibly moving back towards current-fiancee? I have heard conflicting rumors about this. Better not to risk it. Other topics Not to Discuss: Turin.)

You might notice that there is no reference to her mother between her father’s name and her’s. She seems as entirely absent as Celebrimbor’s.

Given the two of them and Gil-Galad, I am beginning to wonder if the rumors that the dwarves craft their children from stone instead of making them the more traditional way might be more accurately aimed at the elves.

Aegnor, also called Aikanaro, also called Ambarato: Aegnor has a mother name, so perhaps Earwen was not tired of them after all! Aikanaro means ‘fell-fire’ which . . . Well, it beats out ‘Child of twilight’ for ominousness, at the very least.

His father name means ‘champion of doom’ which hardly seems much better. While I’m sure these were both very fine names for the warrior he became, it seems very hard to picture calling a child any of that.

You will not have to worry about recognizing him, however, as he has elected to remain in Mandos so that he may continue to mourn Andreth in peace. His twin brother, Angrod, has elected to stay with him.

If Tuor could be granted immortality so long as we don’t talk about it too much, I don’t see why she couldn’t have been, but perhaps she would have been if they had sailed together instead of staying to fight.

This is probably something I shouldn’t bring up out loud. Especially around Elrond, given the whole Arwen and Aragorn situation. If marrying Arwen had allowed Aragorn to sail, I think nothing could have made Elrond happier.

Galadriel, also called Alatariel, also called Artanis, also called Nerwen: Once again, Earwen has given a mother name, so Orodreth becomes an aberration; perhaps he suppressed his mother-name too. Nerwen means ‘man-maiden,’ which does not at all fit with my perception of Galadriel, but then, the name would have been given a very long time ago. Artanis, on the other hand, means ‘noble woman,’ which does fit with my perception, but she abandoned it too in favor of Galadriel, which is the Sindarin form of Alatariel, a name given to her by Celeborn, meaning ‘Maiden Crowned with Radiant Garland.’

Her title and preferred name are both clear, and we all certainly ought to recognize her by now, so in that sense, at least, she’s one of the safest people to talk to at the party. In all other senses, I’ll leave you to your own judgement.

Celeborn: Galadriel’s husband, who will probably not be attending on the grounds that he, like Elladan and Elrohir, has not sailed yet. There is slightly less anxiety about this as mortality is not an option for him, but he could theoretically remain there to fade which is most definitely a possibility that we are Not Going to Discuss, particularly in front of Celebrian or Galadriel.

Celebrian: Our hostess, as previously mentioned in the section about the House of Fingolfin. If my calculations are correct, this makes her Elrond’s second cousin, twice removed, in addition to being his wife.

She either has no mother-name or no father-name; knowing Galadriel, I’m not sure which.

There seems little point in covering the children again, so that’s everyone!

. . .

Addendum:

That is not quite everyone. There is still, after all:

Gil-Galad, also called Rodnor, also called Artanaro, also called Ereinion, also called ‘son of [ink-blot]’: Before looking into this, I had never heard Gil-Galad referred to as either Rodnor or Artanaro before. As I presume there’s a reason for this, unless specifically invited to, I suggest you don’t refer to him that way either.

Everyone’s pretty sure that whoever the High King turns out to be, it probably won’t be Gil-Galad, but that doesn’t clarify how we should refer to him, so try just referring to him in a general kingly way and see if he’s happy with it. No one seems to be overly threatened by him or angry with him, so this probably won’t cause too many problems.

Probably the son of either Fingon or Orodreth, although in both cases the mother remains equally unclear, and I’m unclear on how there can be so much confusion on this point; I suspect politics were involved at some point, and by now I have very little patience for politics of any sort.

Rumor has it there’s a betting pool on the matter if you care to get involved, though the odds of this being resolved even in our extended lifetimes seems low.

Although Elrond gets a very strange look on his face whenever all of this is mentioned. I don’t know what he knows, but he definitely knows something.

To be fair, this is usually a good assumption to make about Elrond.

Findis: First child of Finwe and Indis. I can find no particular meaning for her name. To all appearances, it was made by smashing her parents’ names together.

I have managed to uncover very little else about her. This is unlikely to be a problem at the party as she hasn’t left the Vanyar since the Noldor marched to Alqualondë and seems unlikely to change that position now.

Lalwen, also called Irime, also called Irien: The third child of Finwe and Indis. Like her sister, she had no children and started no house, at least so far as I have been able to determine. Records of her are very fragmentary. This extends to her appearance, which is particularly unfortunate, as I have been told that she will be attending the party.

It’s doubly unfortunate, actually, as I’ve been told that she’s the one running the betting pool.

. . .

Dear Bilbo,

Would you happen to know what Feanor’s been reading that’s put him in such a good mood?

- Elrond

. . .

Dear Elrond,

I have absolutely not the slightest idea. No idea at all, and no idea why you would think so. None at all.

Hypothetically, though, if I did, it wouldn’t be my fault.

- Bilbo